Wednesday Night Crash Kills 1, Injures 2

Written by Special to KBEF on March 27, 2020

Impairment is suspected in a Wednesday night crash that claimed the life of a Minden woman.

The crash happened just after 11:30 p.m. on Caney Lake Rd., west of Highway 159 north of Minden. Louisiana State Police Troop G says that their initial investigation reveals a 2003 Pontiac passenger car, driven by 40-year-old Randle Rowe of Daingerfield, Texas was traveling eastbound on Caney Lake Rd. For reasons still under investigation, Rowe lost control of the vehicle, traveled off the left side of the highway, and struck a tree. After crashing into the tree, the Pontiac caught on fire. The front seat passenger, 41-year-old Kelly Wilkewitz, was trapped in the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Rowe and the rear seat passenger, 20-year-old Kara Wilkewitz of Minden, sustained moderate injuries and were taken to a local hospital. Restraint use for all occupants is unknown.

Speed and impairment are suspected to be the primary factors in this crash. A toxicology sample was obtained and will be submitted for analysis. This crash remains under investigation.

Louisiana State Police would like to remind all motorists that if you feel different, you drive different. Alcohol, prescription drugs, and other drugs have many effects on the body that negatively affect driving skills. These drugs can impair visual ability, alter sense of time and space, impair fine motor skills needed to operate a motor vehicle, and decrease reaction times. Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and designate a sober driver. Not doing so can have deadly consequences.

In 2020, Troop G has investigated five fatal crashes resulting in five deaths.

Data Source: Troop G News Release